How do you reduce your nervousness?

[The One]

This has been talked about before, but not in as much depth as I would like. As Jim stated, you have to be a bit nervous/aroused, before you reach your peak performance state, but if you go a little bit further, you start going off the other end of the scale, and can no longer shoot as well.

What methods do people use to reduce their nervous state during/before a shoot? I have tried to slow my breathing and heart beat, but find this hard to control when shaking uncontrollably.

[Leighton]

IMHO I try to shoot a normal shot and not care about the outcome.

[grantwomack]

I think too many people put too much emphasis on shots as an end or distance, and not enough on each arrow. I prefer to think, "I'd like to get a 9 this arrow." rather than "If I get a 57 for this end, I'll break 320!". This helps to reduce my nerves substantially. Knowing where each arrow has gone and working out that a [arbitrary score] is needed on the last shot tends to mess things up for a lot of people.

Forget about breathing to relax, forget about trying to lower your heart rate. When you forget about everything (thereby forcing yourself to relax), these things will happen automatically. Shoot each arrow individually, not as an end or round.

[Flehrad]

If you shoot more, then another event just becomes like training.
I used to get jitters at competitions, but now, at ranking rounds, I just shrug and shoot like I do at training.

[2Dogs]

Just get Drunk, and shoot with a hangover.

Then your too worried about not spewing up, then where your arrows are going.

... And most of them go in the middle anyway :lol:

[The One]

If you shoot more, then another event just becomes like training.
I used to get jitters at competitions, but now, at ranking rounds, I just shrug and shoot like I do at training.

But that's the thing - I've shot more than enough tournaments - 5 years worth! It doesn't seem to be getting any better. A lot of the problem is that my mind is always very active. Perhaps I could do with a sedative :D Focussing on one arrow sounds like a good idea. Though I've got to try and not focus too much, because then I start changing my form, and concentrating too much. Perhaps the idea of a 'standard shot' could come in handy.

[The One]

Just get Drunk, and shoot with a hangover.

Then your too worried about not spewing up, then where your arrows are going.

... And most of them go in the middle anyway :lol:

Yeah, have shot a field PB that way, but feeling like $%^& during the day is not my idea of having fun shooting!

[Bia]

I think too many people put too much emphasis on shots as an end or distance, and not enough on each arrow. I prefer to think, "I'd like to get a 9 this arrow." rather than "If I get a 57 for this end, I'll break 320!".

I'm pretty anxious and tend to expect too much from my results, so my coach always tells me: Each shot is one shot.
He tells me to forget the result of the last arrow and start all over again.

[Marcus]

This varies for me. SOmetimes I am better off aiming for a end score. I needed 55 on my final end at 90m on Sunday to break 300 (I know, shocking day's shooting) and put in 4 10's on that end and got it.
However I agree with Grant, thinking about the outcome and not the process is a terrible habit.

[Bia]

Ah! And of course, breathing really deep is essencial for me to slow down my heartbeat

[Eolla]

Best way to beat panic I found is to go to the Nationals and shoot all events. Ask youself "Am I going to win this" you answer of course "Not an ice-cubes chance in hell" and you shoot without pressure. The more big tournaments you shoot the more comfortable you feel. You gradually climb the rankings and the panic gradually goes away.

I have been so wound up at the first whistle blow I couldn't shoot. Eventually as the clock ran down I had to just draw and release the first 2 or 3 costing valuable points. It's a hard thing to overcome but eases with familiarity. That's why the olympians practice recieving medals and being on top ofthe leader board so that when it happens for real they have "been there-done that"

Here endeth the lesson, cheers JR

[Bia]

I

[Flehrad]

But that's the thing - I've shot more than enough tournaments - 5 years worth! It doesn't seem to be getting any better. A lot of the problem is that my mind is always very active. Perhaps I could do with a sedative :D Focussing on one arrow sounds like a good idea. Though I've got to try and not focus too much, because then I start changing my form, and concentrating too much. Perhaps the idea of a 'standard shot' could come in handy.

What you need is a mental distraction.

There are lots of people at our club, who have demonstrated that they shoot considerably better when they don't concentrate on their shooting, but on something else. I think this works for some people well because they just let their form take over and not allow their minds to mess things up.

Most of the time, the distraction is a bunch of people talking and joking around, and the background chatter provides the mental distraction

[The One]

Yeah, that can normally help, but the problem is trying to deceive my mind - it knows what I'm doing too well! At the same time, I find that I do need to concentrate on my shooting to at least a certain extent, or else I'll throw stupid shots. I think that one of the most important things that I need to do is get bowfit, because then it's easier to shoot subconciously.

[mike]

I would say that breathing excercises work. I have done well in tournaments through this strategy -- ask Marcus about the Moorabbin sheild a couple of years ago -- he thought I shot well but I was SOOOO nervous - I was doing breathing control on the line most ends and ended up 2nd, but it was a struggle!

Other than that, familiarity works better than anything. If you feel comfortable in the situation, then things work like practice - ie well! The only way to build that is through lots of competitive shooting; be it club or stae+ level - just compete as much as you can. Personally this is the fun part of the sport -- if I'm not competitive I don't have much fun!

[mike]

I would say that breathing excercises work. I have done well in tournaments through this strategy -- ask Marcus about the Moorabbin sheild a couple of years ago -- he thought I shot well but I was SOOOO nervous - I was doing breathing control on the line most ends and ended up 2nd, but it was a struggle!

Other than that, familiarity works better than anything. If you feel comfortable in the situation, then things work like practice - ie well! The only way to build that is through lots of competitive shooting; be it club or stae+ level - just compete as much as you can. Personally this is the fun part of the sport -- if I'm not competitive I don't have much fun!

[Chris]

Learn to live wit 'em they'll always be there just get used to them.

An as 2dogs said shoot wit a hangover and a concussion (if possible) works every time

shot my 1st 1300 mens FITA at the club the day after the School Rugby Carnival-was a Five Eighth